Gender in Belgian Survival Fund Joint Programme projects

The interests of vulnerable and marginalized groups, especially women and children, are of primary concern to the Belgian Survival Fund Joint Programme (BSF.JP).  Women are targeted because they have a key role in managing household food security and spend more of their income than men on improving the family’s well-being.

During difficult times, women often reduce their own consumption in order to leave more food for other members of their household.

Given women’s vital role in the targeted rural areas and the high incidence of poverty that they experience, their full and active involvement in planning and implementing activities is a clear prerequisite for the sustainable implementation of the JP.

The JP actively promotes women’s full participation to ensure that they benefit from interventions in several ways:

• Participation of women throughout all phases of project activities is ensured through the adequate allocation of resources for specific training needs and general support to favour empowerment of women.
• Training activities carried out under the projects include a specific module on gender sensitization.
• Wherever possible, a policy of positive discrimination in favour of woman is followed when assigning duties and responsibilities at all levels of project implementation.

Most JP projects include specific measures to enhance women’s economic and social empowerment, literacy and health. In some JP projects, women are the main beneficiaries and actors, such as in the KWFT in Kenya, UWESO in Uganda and North-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Women are generally responsible for collecting water for their families. On average, in rural Africa, women spend 26 per cent of their time on this task, which often means having to walk miles to the nearest water source. By providing communities with better access to potable water, the JP projects have freed up valuable time and energy for women, enabling them to spend more time on other domestic tasks and income-generating activities. The JP projects also ensure that women constitute at least 50 per cent of water point committee members so that they are involved in decision-making that affects their households.

A recent study conducted by the University of Leuven, on behalf of the JP, clearly demonstrates the value added and synergies of combined support to the social and productive sectors. For instance, research shows that adult education for young women has the most synergetic effect, improving women’s economic performance, confidence and innovation. Furthermore, literate women are more likely to take advantage of improved preventive health measures.

According to the study, the combination of improved access to potable water and the provision of sanitation and hygiene courses in several project areas has improved the productive capacity and general well-being of women.

In line with the IFAD Policy on Targeting, Strategic Framework 2007- 2010 and the recent Framework for Gender Mainstreaming in IFAD’s Operations, the JP is constantly trying to improve the impact of its projects and its general development effectiveness.

In 2009, in collaboration with IFAD’s Technical Advisory Division and the Finnish consulting group, the JP will carry out an assessment of gender approaches in selected projects.